there are many bars and clubs here in NB, that advertise and offer big money games, but i'm sure that they may be a think of the past soon...there's just to many becomeing so visible,,i don't know the legalities of it all but i enjoy a game of 2 with them at times.
I'll never understand why a place like Woodbine is allowed to have slots, where people mindlessly fritter away their cash, and are not allowed to put in a poker room, where there is a significant element of skill.
My idea would be to provide licenses to reputable businesspeople interested in opening a legal, government-regulated (but not government-controlled) cardroom. No slots, no table games. Only games where players play each other and the house takes a rake or session fee. The maximum rake/session fee would also be regulated. Beyond that, these clubs could be operated in any way the owners saw fit, provided adequate safeguards against cheating were in place and followed (and subject to inspection).
If this ever happens, my guess is that before long about 50 legal cardrooms would spring up in the GTA. Cardplayers among a population of 6 million wouldn't have to drive to the Falls/Rama/Port Perry/Brantford. The environmental impact of the decreased number of long-distance trips by bus/car would be reduced.
I'll never understand why a place like Woodbine is allowed to have slots, where people mindlessly fritter away their cash, and are not allowed to put in a poker room, where there is a significant element of skill.
My idea would be to provide licenses to reputable businesspeople interested in opening a legal, government-regulated (but not government-controlled) cardroom. No slots, no table games. Only games where players play each other and the house takes a rake or session fee. The maximum rake/session fee would also be regulated. Beyond that, these clubs could be operated in any way the owners saw fit, provided adequate safeguards against cheating were in place and followed (and subject to inspection).
If this ever happens, my guess is that before long about 50 legal cardrooms would spring up in the GTA. Cardplayers among a population of 6 million wouldn't have to drive to the Falls/Rama/Port Perry/Brantford. The environmental impact of the decreased number of long-distance trips by bus/car would be reduced.
Can't see the government being a fan of reducing traffic to OLGC structures. Fewer $$$ into casinos means fewer $$$ in the coffers of the province. Only way they would allow it is if the people running them had to give a portion of the rake to the government. Which means the rake goes up and it would be tough to compete with a casino when you are pulling a huge rake.
"Only way they would allow it is if the people running them had to give a portion of the rake to the government. Which means the rake goes up and it would be tough to compete with a casino when you are pulling a huge rake."
This would only affect the casinos' poker rooms - which is probably about 2% of their overall profit.
I don't think the rake would need to be higher, as I don't think these places would have the huge overhead costs typical of an upscale casino. Let's say that 5% of the rake went to the city and province... a 20-table card room should be able to make a decent profit while still keeping the rake reasonable.
Also, the money spent by law-enforcement trying to close down illegal poker rooms could be spent elsewhere - another net savings for local and provincial governments. Illegal rooms only exist because of the lack of a convenient legal alternative.
This would only affect the casinos' poker rooms - which is probably about 2% of their overall profit.
Casinos don't offer poker because they make money from it... they offer it because it's popular and it gets people into the casino, where hopefully they blow their $$$ playing other games.
No, any gambling in any place kept for gain, including a rake-free poker game in a business, is illegal. As I posted @ http://www.pokerforumcanada.com/showthread.php?t=13711, the AGCO has even taken the extreme position that the gambling-free freeroll tournaments at bars is illegal under the Criminal Code! :bs:
Now please forgive my complete ignorance on the subject... but if I were playing at place that was raided would I end up with a criminal record? Or would there just be a fine of some sort? If so roughly how large?
Gaming in a common gaming house. 7. Any person who games in a common gaming house shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
I believe the players that were charged in Kingston and Ottawa paid something like $250 to a charity of their choice, and no criminal record. The people who were keeping the common gaming houses may not have had their court trials yet.
I believe the players that were charged in Kingston and Ottawa paid something like $250 to a charity of their choice, and no criminal record. The people who were keeping the common gaming houses may not have had their court trials yet.
Actually if you have been arrested or charged...its a criminal record. Only difference it is not a conviction. Many are unaware that being charged then resulting without a conviction still has a record. All Arrest Records, Withdrawn Charges, Stayed Charges remain with the RCMP until a pardon for convictions OR purge for non-convictions/ conditional discharge are granted. Simply, if you ever been fingerprinted, you have a criminal record unless a pardon or purge is granted.
What a bummer. Were the Waterloo and Guelph raids this week the only ones in this area in recent memory? Do you think they are only going after the places taking a rake or where lots of money is changing hands?
Can you really see the police cracking down on a 20~30 person rake free $50 tourney in the area?
The cops were out at our golf course last Friday warning the manager there that they were cracking down on all illegal gambling. We were going to have a quiet 20-30 member tourney there in two weeks which has now been cancelled as the club could possibly lose their liquor license.
It looks like there is a unit that is full time working on gambling and has been directed to look into poker. I wonder who decided to concentrate the efforts on poker?
Well this sucks. I can't see why they would come down on someone getting his 'fix' at a $50 rake free tourney. Now he has to go to the casino and lose lots more. How does this benefit society?
Doesn't help I hate limit poker so the nearest casino is 1.5~2 hours away. Guess it's time to start up the BYOB no rake home game again.
That does not make any sense. Unless you have been convicted as a criminal, why would you have a criminal record that would ban you from many jobs and foreign travel? If anybody knows any of the players that got (or will get) slapped in the wrist in Ottawa, Kingston, Montreal, Guelph or Waterloo, maybe they can confirm that they did not get a criminal record.
For example, a gambling addict who smashed five video lottery terminals with an axe pleaded guilty and received a conditional discharge. He escaped a criminal record simply by taking part in a gambling addiction assessment and counselling.
"Hello, my name is IM-ON-TILT and I am addicted to winning at poker."
Being charged is the first step. Police lay charges all the time, only some of them lead to court and therefore to convictions if they are lucky.
Being charged does not limit you necessarily from travelling or applying for work or security checks. Being convicted, though does.
Many players get charged, and often just have a slap on the wrist instead of having the full penalty levied on them (make a donation to a charity or something vs paying out thousands of $$) or more often than not, the charges get dropped and NEVER see the inside of a court room.
Once you have been found not guilty, you can have your record of being charged (along with any and all pictures taken, interview notes, and fingerprints, or whatever was gathered against you) expunged totally...your lawyer should be able to do that after asking the court at the time of the trial.
I speak from personal experience here. My lawyer at the time also warned me that even though I witnessed the destruction of this evidence as well as any record of me being charged, someone somewhere in some organization has it a copy of it in their file. They can never use it against me, but chances are good its there somewhere for 'reference'...just in case.
Comments
My idea would be to provide licenses to reputable businesspeople interested in opening a legal, government-regulated (but not government-controlled) cardroom. No slots, no table games. Only games where players play each other and the house takes a rake or session fee. The maximum rake/session fee would also be regulated. Beyond that, these clubs could be operated in any way the owners saw fit, provided adequate safeguards against cheating were in place and followed (and subject to inspection).
If this ever happens, my guess is that before long about 50 legal cardrooms would spring up in the GTA. Cardplayers among a population of 6 million wouldn't have to drive to the Falls/Rama/Port Perry/Brantford. The environmental impact of the decreased number of long-distance trips by bus/car would be reduced.
/g2
Can't see the government being a fan of reducing traffic to OLGC structures. Fewer $$$ into casinos means fewer $$$ in the coffers of the province. Only way they would allow it is if the people running them had to give a portion of the rake to the government. Which means the rake goes up and it would be tough to compete with a casino when you are pulling a huge rake.
This would only affect the casinos' poker rooms - which is probably about 2% of their overall profit.
I don't think the rake would need to be higher, as I don't think these places would have the huge overhead costs typical of an upscale casino. Let's say that 5% of the rake went to the city and province... a 20-table card room should be able to make a decent profit while still keeping the rake reasonable.
Also, the money spent by law-enforcement trying to close down illegal poker rooms could be spent elsewhere - another net savings for local and provincial governments. Illegal rooms only exist because of the lack of a convenient legal alternative.
/g2
Now please forgive my complete ignorance on the subject... but if I were playing at place that was raided would I end up with a criminal record? Or would there just be a fine of some sort? If so roughly how large?
Again..not a lawyer blah blah blah as disclaimer
Mark
whats the charge? and the consequences?
7. Any person who games in a common gaming house shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
Whoops. That is if you live in Singapore.
Punishment
(2) Every one who commits an offence under this section is guilty of an indictable offence and liable
(a) for a first offence, to imprisonment for not more than two years;
(b) for a second offence, to imprisonment for not more than two years and not less than fourteen days; and
(c) for each subsequent offence, to imprisonment for not more than two years and not less than three months.
R.S., c. C-34, s. 186; 1974-75-76, c. 93, s. 11.
Actually if you have been arrested or charged...its a criminal record. Only difference it is not a conviction. Many are unaware that being charged then resulting without a conviction still has a record. All Arrest Records, Withdrawn Charges, Stayed Charges remain with the RCMP until a pardon for convictions OR purge for non-convictions/ conditional discharge are granted. Simply, if you ever been fingerprinted, you have a criminal record unless a pardon or purge is granted.
And even then, there is no guarantee there isn't a 'copy' somewhere.
Can you really see the police cracking down on a 20~30 person rake free $50 tourney in the area?
/g2
P.S. Nice custom title Dave
Doesn't help I hate limit poker so the nearest casino is 1.5~2 hours away. Guess it's time to start up the BYOB no rake home game again.
No it is not illegal unless the game is raked or the establishment benefits in some way.
Mark
For example, a gambling addict who smashed five video lottery terminals with an axe pleaded guilty and received a conditional discharge. He escaped a criminal record simply by taking part in a gambling addiction assessment and counselling.
"Hello, my name is IM-ON-TILT and I am addicted to winning at poker."
Other charges would not be considerred criminal charges...
e.g. traffic offences....
Mark
Being charged does not limit you necessarily from travelling or applying for work or security checks. Being convicted, though does.
Many players get charged, and often just have a slap on the wrist instead of having the full penalty levied on them (make a donation to a charity or something vs paying out thousands of $$) or more often than not, the charges get dropped and NEVER see the inside of a court room.
Once you have been found not guilty, you can have your record of being charged (along with any and all pictures taken, interview notes, and fingerprints, or whatever was gathered against you) expunged totally...your lawyer should be able to do that after asking the court at the time of the trial.
I speak from personal experience here. My lawyer at the time also warned me that even though I witnessed the destruction of this evidence as well as any record of me being charged, someone somewhere in some organization has it a copy of it in their file. They can never use it against me, but chances are good its there somewhere for 'reference'...just in case.